Snow Angels
by Endgame Scribe
Summary: With the snowflakes all around, it feels like heaven's reaching down to tell us here on earth we're not alone. And as each season passes, I will watch as your wings grow. I'll always think of you this way, my angel in the snow.
1. The First Encounter

**Ch. 1 - The First Encounter**

A/N: So, I was enjoying my two snow days before I left for the March for Life, and I got struck with this amazing idea – and of course, I'd been dying to do an AU ever since I started reading Malec fanfiction here, so here it is. I mean, I have absolutely no idea where it came from - it was originally a one shot, and I've mixed up a few things I haven't seen before - Raphael, for instance, and Camille - and I love it. I've got a sweet little twist of drama in store for you all, so please keep reading, and tell me what you think, okay lovelies?

Disclaimer: My lawyer says I can't own something I read or hear. So I don't own Cassie's characters, nor do I own the summary lyrics from Amy Sky's Angels in the Snow song. Hmph.

**With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear by Sleeping with Sirens (acoustic)**

"C'mon Alec! Pretty please? Look out there it's so cool!" Max whined. "Even Izzy's coming! You have to come!"

Alexander Lightwood shook his head. "I'm busy, Max. I have schoolwork to do."

Maryse Lightwood sighed, barely looking up from the laptop she was typing intently on. "Alec, go play with your brother. It's winter break; your homework can wait for your family."

Alec relented, going to get ready as Max danced around in triumph. Isabelle didn't look up from her cell phone while Jace, his adopted brother, laughed at the small boy's display. Alec shivered as he heard the sound of Jace's laugh, trying to quell the thoughts before they came to the forefront of his mind.

Like they weren't there already.

Five minutes later, the four of them left the house, opting for the snow in the park down the block. Max insisted that it would be a lot more fun than the snow in their yard. His three companions knew that he just wanted to make use of the playground.

Once they arrived there, Max hit it off with a few other kids that were about his age, but he didn't let his siblings off the hook so easily. First to play with Max and his friends was Jace. They snuck up behind him and tried to wrestle, tackling him and clutching at his legs. He would topple over and feign surprise, occasionally snatching one of the kids' hats and running off with it. They would chase him and the cycle would continue.

Isabelle was harder to convince. She was glued to her cell phone, wearing fingerless gloves just so she could text whatever boy she deemed worthy to see not just in school, but over the break. The little girls shyly complimented her boots, high heeled as usual, her hat, and her deep green coat. She let one of them try on the hat and started a snowball fight with the boys, her texting buddy momentarily forgotten.

Alec watched them all with detached interest, a fond smile sneaking its way onto his face. He noticed how Isabelle giggled as she pelted Jace and Max with snowballs, how Max lit up when one of the older two let him get them, and how Jace looked when he smiled, when he laughed, when he tumbled down with mock surprise. His hair was wet from the snow that kept being thrown at him, and his cheeks were flushed. His breath came out in puffs that Alec could see, and he had to look at something else, someone else, and anything else, just to keep his stomach from hurting that way.

He was so focused on ignoring the fact that Jace was wet and laughing and so fucking gorgeous, but that focus was completely shattered the second Jace called out, "Come on, Alec, loosen up! You're missing out!"

Alec rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "I don't think so."

Max ran over and tugged at Alec's coat, begging him, "Please Alec? Pretty pleeeeeeeease? It'll be fun!"

Alec figured he had no choice and followed Max to the others. Within moments he was sucked into the game, laughing just like the rest of them.

* * *

Magnus Bane was lounging on his best friend's bed, sprawled out over the bright yellow comforter as Kellin Quinn's voice spilled over him. He wrinkled his nose. "Why do you like these guys again?" he asked his best friend Kyle, who had earlier retreated to his sketchbook.

Kyle snorted, replying instantly, "Kellin is a gorgeous individual who has a real voice that hasn't gone through synthesizers. He can write good songs and he isn't too bad to look at, either." A grin played on his face as his pencil turned itself around in his hand and rubbed across the paper, erasing something.

Magnus got up to see what his friend was drawing, and he wasn't surprised by what he found. Kyle was drawing his favorite character and cosplay inspiration, a warlock named Ragnor Fell. It was a character from some book Maia was reading that she'd told the boys about. Magnus was more drawn to the sexy Spanish vampire boy than any of the sparkly warlocks, despite his similarities to the character.

"You're obsessed, hon," he told his friend. "Ragnor is not going to just appear in your bedroom any time soon because you want him to."

Kyle laughed. "You never know. He _is_ a warlock."

"Sure, and so am I. Stop dreaming sweetheart. You're needed in the real world," Magnus replied dryly.

Kyle continued, ignoring Magnus' comment. "He might transfer to Holy Angel's. I'd like that," he sighed.

"Yeah, why don't you ask him about that vampire when you meet him, kay?"

"What about Raphael? You just gonna pitch him like last season's boots?"

Magnus scoffed, "No, of course not, because it doesn't happen. There's no gorgeous gay boys that show up all of a sudden and hit you with a tidal wave of lust. That's the kind of shit Stephanie Meyer would write."

Kyle threw his pencil at his best friend. "Pessimist. You're ruining my mood. Ragnor doesn't look as pretty if you kill my buzz, so shut it." Magnus caught the pencil, twirling it in his hand a few times before giving it back to his friend.

"It's not pessimism, it's realism. There's none of that in the real world." Noticing the time, he strode across the room to pick up his coat, shrugging into it. "Besides, I'm going to go enjoy the real world options."

Kyle laughed. "Whatever, whore. Say hi to Raphael for me."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled you remembered him."

"Psh. I have to; you only talk about him every second you get to."

"Ciao, Fell boy."

Kyle's grin grew wider. "Bye, Magnus."

He left the house, walking down the street. His hair was molded into a perfect crown of spikes above his head, the black hair interspersed with bright red streaks of temporary dye. His hood was pulled up and carefully set over his head to protect his immaculate hairstyle from the snow drifting to the ground.

Raphael was meeting him at Pandemonium, a local 'club,' if you could call it that. It was mainly for the freaks of the teenage population to get together and dance under multicolored lights and swirling smoke. There was no alcohol, never any live bands, and it was always crowded and always pumping with shitty rap music. No, they were just meeting there, thank God. He wouldn't be able to show his face in public if he was ever seen at Pandemonium; the shame would eat him alive. He looked old enough – one thing the excessive height he had was good for – that a fake ID worked fine.

Magnus' daydreams about his boyfriend, however, were cut short as he passed the park on Starkweather Street. There was shouting and laughter, and Magnus smiled. So the little kids were making use of all the newly fallen snow.

His smile was short lived, though, as he heard an all too familiar voice call out, "Come on, Alec, loosen up! You're missing out!"

Magnus stepped to where he could see the group of elementary schoolers playing with two people his age. The raven haired girl he recognized readily: she was Isabelle Lightwood, volleyball star with exceptional taste in shoes. It was also rumored that she spent her summers with a roller derby team, but no one could confirm that. The blond he recognized just as readily, but with hostility in his gaze: Jace Lightwood.

The boy he was looking at, though, Magnus wasn't nearly as familiar with. His tall frame and black hair was reminiscent of Isabelle's, so he figured they were related. Brother and sister, probably. The pale skin of his face was flushed, more so than it would usually be by the cold. The boy – Alec, Jace had called him – responded with a shake of his head and the few words he said caught Magnus' attention right away. His voice was beautiful, a perfect match to that body. Even though he was wrapped in a heavy coat inevitably with several more layers, he seemed pretty fit. _Another jock,_ Magnus figured. _No wonder he hangs with Jace. Definitely not football, though. Soccer, maybe? Or track._

Magnus wondered passively what he looked like without all those clothes on. Sports certainly couldn't hurt the boy's appearance, and –

_Oh, God._

He was giving Jace That Look. The look about half the student body gave him: complete and total fucking adoration. In the way all but a few females looked at the sports star during school hours.

A small boy who looked just like him tugged on his coat and led him to the group. Soon they were all throwing snow and laughing hysterically. Alec stayed near Jace the entire time, often helping Isabelle and the little kids pelt him with snowballs and tackle him. But he had that look on his face, one that Magnus knew well. It was the look the oldest child looked at his siblings with. It was so sweet on his face.

Magnus looked away after a few minutes, and kept walking. He was going to be late.

Raphael stood outside the 'club,' smoking a cigarette and looking so frustratingly sexy. His curly black hair was messed up perfectly and his jeans hung low on his hips. Magnus' first thought was to ditch their plans for the night and drag him into a dark room. When he looked in his boyfriend's direction, he grinned, taking the cigarette out of his lips and blowing out a steady stream of smoke. "_Dios mio_, Magnus, what happened? You're actually wearing black. Who died?"

"More like what died. The cat destroyed my red jacket, so I had to settle for this one. What do you think?"

Raphael looked him up and down, eyes half lidded and told him, "You know exactly what I think. Although," he leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I'd rather see you wearing nothing at all."

Magnus purred, "Not yet, baby. That you'll have to wait for."

* * *

Clary Fray flipped through the channels with one hand while the other played with her ponytail. She'd put it up earlier, which was unusual. Usually she had her carroty red curls falling into her face. She looked up from the anime on the television to see her best friend walk through her front door like he always did. The house was his just as much as it was hers; they had been close practically since birth.

"So, did you have fun with Maia?" she asked him as he sat down on the couch next to her. _He ditched the glasses tonight,_ she noticed. Without them his eyes were really big and dark. She decided he looked better without glasses than he did with them on.

Simon Lewis nodded, running a hand through his hair. "We went to Pandemonium, like you suggested. We didn't dance much, but it was fun to laugh at how ridiculous some of the people looked there. Eventually we went to the movies and saw the new Will Ferrell thing. It was freezing out."

They fell silent as the show came back on. After a few minutes, Simon asked, "Fruits Basket?" and Clary nodded.

"Didn't you draw Tohru and Kyo for that art contest?"

Clary laughed. "Yeah, I did. And I scrapped it and ended up drawing Hatsuharu and Rin instead. And it won first place."

Simon cast his glance to her backpack leaning against the opposite wall and groaned. "I can't believe we have to go back. Haven't we 'learned' enough?" He punctuated the word learned with air quotes, pulling another giggle out of Clary.

"They don't think so. Oh, you'll never guess who I talked to today," She told him, with a new enthusiasm.

"I dunno, who?"

"That guy Kyle, from my art classes. He was at Notes when I went today," she told him, referring to the book and music store she frequented. "He said he was applying for a job, like I was. It was so weird."

"Sounds more awkward than weird," Simon observed. "Did Luke go shopping today?"

"Yes, we have junk food."

"Excellent." He retreated to the kitchen and started going through the cabinets searching for something to eat.

Clary rolled her eyes but she was smiling. She turned her attention back to Tohru and the Sohmas as they flitted about on the screen, oblivious to their audience.

* * *

It was already three in the morning, and Camille was still up, waiting for her older brother to come home. _Where was he?_ Magnus always had a tendency to stay out late when there wasn't school the next day, but it was going from staying out late to staying out early.

She knew he wasn't staying at Raphael's. He would've shot her a line if he was, she knew that for sure.

But then again, this was the latest he'd stayed out. _Maybe he'd forgotten_, she mused, and examining her shell pink nail polish, looking for chips once again.

No, this was Magnus. This was not something he'd forget about.

And speak of the devil, was that the front door?

Not a second later the front door opened, and an abnormally tall boy came in the door, the very little light washing out his usually golden-hued skin. When he saw his little sister waiting up for him, he grinned, his teeth strangely white in the darkness. "You waited up again?"

"When don't I?"

"Point taken. I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Goodnight Camille," he yawned and stumbled over his boots. She rushed over to steady him and help him get his boots off.

"Why do you wear these things if you can't walk in them when you're dead on your feet?" She asked them, sliding one of his shoes off. He managed to get the other one off, setting it down out of the way.

He sighed. "Because they look amazing."

"Mags, you might want to reconsider your choice of footwear to something you can _always_ walk in."

He chuckled, "Some sacrifices are worth it." Then he groaned. "I feel dead."

"Then you shouldn't stay out so late. Or early, actually. C'mon," Camille told him, offering him a hand to help him up. He took it graciously and they went into the room they shared. The cat, Chairman Meow, was waiting there to curl up with _someone_, raising his eyes expectantly.

Camille fell asleep the instant her head hit the pillow, while Magnus laid awake for a little while, consumed by thoughts of Raphael. So he was very surprised when he found his thoughts straying to a different tall dark haired boy as he fell asleep.

**Mkay, so how was it? It's my first AU, and I'm really excited about writing it, so please leave a review – it would mean the world to me!**

**Also! I'm setting up a schedule. On each Friday and Saturday, I will post at least one chapter to at least one story on at least one of the days. So once a week essentially, though I've got a couple chappies written for this, so I might be generous with my updates, lol.**

**SO PLEASE REVIEW! It's just a click, a couple sentences, maybe a critique – something I could improve rather than what is already good? Either way, reviews are sparkles. And Magnus can't get enough. Make him happy? Review?**


	2. Close

**Ch. 2 - Close**

Alright! I got to the second chapter of my first AU! So happy :D And I'm really happy that you guys are reviewing and reading and liking and such. So please, if you could,

**Shiver, by Coldplay**

Groaning, Magnus swatted at the owner of the rough tongue he felt on his face. Chairman Meow voiced his displeasure, turning up his nose and walking across the room to curl up on Camille's bed. He sat up, his head pounding and his fingers getting caught as they pushed back his hair.

Camille was still asleep, her hair spread across the pillow like a blond splatter of paint. Chairman was curling up around her arm, an honest-to-God smile on his squinting face. Magnus had to smile himself.

He glanced at the clock. Noon. It felt like six. His mouth was dry and he was sore. Figuring a shower would help, he sat up and fell right back on his pillow.

Okay, so his headache wasn't letting him get up. Lovely. At least he didn't have to go to school until tomorrow.

He let out a frustrated sigh. His hair was already a disaster, he knew, just from the knots in it. It was probably sweaty and stringy, a complete mess. Magnus didn't doubt it.

One consolation, however, was the fact that he'd been conscious enough to pull on a pair of pajama pants instead of going to sleep in his skinny jeans. If he was that conscious last night without sleep, he should've been fine that morning.

Sadly, hangovers didn't really work that way.

So he just laid there for a while. About a half an hour passed before Camille stirred, jolting the cat into attack mode, his tail puffed up and his mouth open to show his mini-fangs. She stretched and sat up, rubbing her eyes, mumbling, "Magnus? You gotta get up."

"Already done, babe."

Camille smiled blearily. "That's what you get."

"Psh, it was so worth it. You'll understand one day soon enough," he told her, eliciting a laugh. Then, remembering the day before, he asked Camille with as much nonchalance as he could muster, "Hey, Camille, you wouldn't happen to know if Isabelle Lightwood has a brother?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course she does. You know Jace, but he's adopted, and you know Alec, I mean he looks just like her, and I think she's got a little brother. I mean, how do you not know that?"

_Knew it. _"I just saw this guy that looked like her with Jace; Alec, or something like that. I wanted to know if it was a coincidence or not," he said offhandedly, but Camille was already grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Where did you see him? He's, like, antisocial, almost. He never goes out anywhere," she asked.

Magnus shrugged. "I might have seen him playing with his kid brother at the park. Gawd, that makes me sound like a stalker," he commented, which served only to make Camille's grin grow even bigger.

"You dirty little slut! You_ like_ Alec Lightwood, don't you?" She giggled, and settled back thoughtfully. "I mean, he _is _gorgeous, but he hangs with Jace, so he's obviously tainted."

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Who are you calling a dirty little slut? I'm older _and_ taller than you, not to mention _I_ don't look like Barbie."

Camille just grinned. "Yeah, I know I'm perfect. But I was talking about your late night out. Raphael must be some special bitch for you to stay out till three. I mean, you missed out on prime beauty sleep, and you've got those circles under your eyes," she informed him, ending with a gasp. His hands flew to his face in terror as she burst out laughing. "Sucker."

"You evil little bitch! I hate you," he squealed, flinging his pillow at her. She deflected it easily. "Oh, does Mom have to work today?"

"I think so."

"Good. Now, I'm going to go take a shower before you get the chance to hog the bathroom." He stuck his tongue out at his sister as he grabbed a clean pair of skinnies and left the room.

* * *

When Alec woke up, it was still snowing, but the snowflakes outside were bigger and slower than they had been the night before. With a yawn, he got out of bed. Stepping on the carpet and letting go of the blankets made him want to go back to sleep and curl up beneath the covers. It was too cold, even though Alec was as warmly clothed as he could be. Hell, he was even wearing multiple pairs of socks to bed. He got cold easily, something he tried to fix with the sweaters and sweatshirts he constantly wore. His parents always kept the temperature at 73, and it stayed there most of the time. Of course, when they were away, Jace and Isabelle always turned it down even further – in the mid sixties, at the very lowest, and sadly nothing Alec ever said or did would change that. Even the carpet was cold – and it was the nice kind of carpet that you could sleep on if you wanted too – the soft kind that felt nice against your bare feet when you walked on it.

As he passed a mirror in the hall, he barely noticed his reflection, save for the thought that he needed a haircut soon. When he stepped into the kitchen, Isabelle seemed to share in that belief.

"Alec! What happened to your hair?" She shrieked, whipping around in an exaggerated double take. "You look like a Bill Kaulitz wannabe."

"Who?" he mumbled, going for the fridge and grabbing a bagel. He put it in the toaster and sat on one of the kitchen stools.

"Never mind, I forgot that you're ignorant of the world. Basically, your hair looks like shit."

"Thanks, Izz."

"Oh, you know what I mean," she huffed. "Get it cut or at least do _something_ with it, please." She shook her hair out of her face and the gold colored bracelets encircling her wrists clinked together as she raised her coffee mug to her lips. She looked as put together as ever, her hair, make up, and outfit looking perfect. But then again, that was the norm for Isabelle.

He shrugged in response, going for the bagel as it popped up. He wrapped it in a napkin and turned around to see the swish of black hair as Isabelle was leaving and –

Jace without a shirt. He was walking towards the fridge, nodding to Alec in greeting.

Of course, he'd seen Jace without a shirt before, but it was still a little bit awkward to turn around and see the object of his affections missing an article of clothing. Alec flushed and looked away, grabbing the peanut butter in an attempt to look occupied, but he could still hear a faint chuckle from behind him. His face turned redder, and he finished preparing his breakfast, leaving the jar open on the counter as he left the room.

He was still uncomfortable when it came to Jace, even though he would come downstairs every morning without a shirt, looking absolutely amazing even though it was first thing in the morning. So Alec would turn away with the blush covering his face and Jace would start another day just like any other: completely oblivious.

But Alec was fine with that. He wouldn't be with Jace, but nobody else was, either. Jace would date, hook up, whatever, but he wouldn't get attached. Maybe –

No, Alec wouldn't allow himself to think about that. That would give him hope; false hope, hope that would turn around and stab him the second anything happened. So Alec just settled for being the best friend and not messing up anything: his friendship with Jace, his relationships with his teammates, the pride and love his parents had for him – he wasn't going to just throw it all away for a crush.

Even though Alec was almost sure it was more than a crush, he used that word because of its accuracy. Whenever he was around Jace, it was like being crushed, but in a good way. His breathing would become uneven, his stomach would clench, and he'd blush, looking away from the boy only to look back at him a few minutes later. He'd lived with Jace for years, and he still hadn't gotten used to these feelings he had for him. He knew why, of course: they were always together, the absolute best of friends, and it was no secret that Jace was nice to look at. But Alec didn't know why it wouldn't get better, or why he couldn't just get used to it. No, it was still the same as the first time he realized it; hell, it was way worse than it had been. Or better, depending on how you looked at it.

He usually saw it as worse, though, simply because of the problems it would cause. He was realistic, at least. He knew nothing would happen.

Now only if he could get his heart synched with his brain, he'd be perfectly fine.

* * *

"Find everything okay?" the cashier asked in a monotone that showed just how much she didn't care. Clary nodded anyway, giving a polite smile to the girl obviously bored out of her skull. She fussed with one of her snakebite piercings, though her hands were scanning the art supplies and pushing buttons on the register. Her tongue was probably behind it. Clary shivered; she'd never seen why anyone would want to get piercings anywhere other than their ears, certainly not their navel, eyebrow, nose, lips, or tongue. It had to hurt, and it didn't look good on everyone. It barely looked acceptable on _anyone_.

Clary handed over a five dollar bill and a few ones, eager to leave the company of the store's employee. She looked over her shoulder, reassuring herself with the fact that Simon was still there, poring over the inside cover summary of some book. In a minute, she joined him at the entrance and they left together.

Simon nodded to her bag. "So, what'd you get?"

"Oh, just this book I heard about. It's called the Hunger Games," she told him in an offhanded voice. "They were raving about it online."

"Sounds good," her best friend trailed off in a way that signaled his attention was being drawn by something else. Clary followed his gaze and asked him, "Is that Isabelle Lightwood?"

"Yeah, I think it is." Simon seemed a bit uncomfortable. "She's with that guy, Melvin or something. I don't get what she sees in him. He's a total ass, and what's with the dye job?"

Clary shrugged. "I dunno, he's got that accent, and he's pretty smart. Why do you care? You have a girlfriend, remember?"

Simon just shook his head and mumbled under his breath, something his friend didn't catch. She knew not to press the issue; it was better and less awkward that way. He wouldn't want to talk about it, and if she asked he'd just get upset.

Clary knew it was time for a change in subject so she asked him, "So, did you get the math homework? I have no idea what it's supposed to be about."

"It's simple, Clary. The problems are just proving things are true and using them to get values for the variables," he told her, in complete nerd mode. A smile was on his face, though, and it told her how grateful he was for the distraction from the girl they'd seen. "You just have to look at the figure, what you know, and see what theorems you have that help you prove what you need to prove. I'll help you with it and show you what I mean when we get back to Luke's, okay?"

She nodded and they left the mall, getting to their bus on time. They sat down together and looked out the grimy window, their conversation light and teasing as Simon asked her what she was doing in art class and she told him, following up with questions about his computer science classes. She loved the ease and familiarity they talked to each other with that stemmed from their years of close friendship. The girls at school had grown out of everything she was interested in, taking up cheerleading or getting further into a sport. She watched anime and read comics and manga while their favorite shows were on MTV and the only reading material they frequented were gossip and fashion magazines. All her girl friends were gone by the time she reached fourth grade, and her introvert nature didn't help in making new ones.

So she stuck with Simon, who'd been her friend since her mom had them move into the city after her father died. His mother was the first person they met, being a neighbor and the two women had hit it off. So by association their children spent a lot of time together as well. Though they themselves had moved from Legos and coloring books to Dungeons and Dragons and art classes at Tisch, their friendship had remained the same, if not getting better, over the years. His family was like her own family: Rebecca and Mrs. Lewis – Simon's sister and mother. They were like sister and brother, so close, doing everything together.

She blinked as he waved his hand in front of her face, shaking her out of her reverie. "Clary? Are you even listening?"

"Of course I am," she told him, smiling apologetically. "This stuff is just over my head is all. I'm glad you like it, though."

He turned his head as the bus slowed, tugging on her arm, reminding her that it was their stop.

* * *

Isabelle giggled at something Meliorn had said. She assumed it was a joke from the way he smiled at her as he said it, though she didn't get it at all. It was something to do with his cosplay thing and his cosplay friends. The most positive reaction she'd had towards it was when he asked her if he wanted to come to one of the conventions with him, and showed her a few costume options. They were all just her style: totally badass, inherently sexy, that accentuated her curves, her height, and set off her pale skin.

"So then Kyle – you know Kyle, right?" he asked her, continuing one of his stories with the mention of one of their classmates. She knew Kyle, all right. He was always at the best parties, working the dark emo boy exterior and being fawned over by lesser beings. He had an air about him, something that made him seem completely different than anyone she'd ever known. Pity he was gay, though she was glad he'd rubbed off on Meliorn. The boy could work with hair dye.

She nodded in response to his question, her hand in his as they walked through the mall. They were there for both of them, which was a first for Isabelle; usually she'd have to drag her dates into stores nearly kicking and screaming – well, more like sulking and moping, but still. Meliorn didn't mind, seeing as he cared about his appearance as well as hers. He wasn't one to try the 'just rolled out of bed' look.

Meliorn got so animated when he talked about cosplay. Anyone who listened could tell just how much he loved it and the friends that joined him as he went on with a story that they probably didn't get the point of. It was passion, she knew, passion that she felt when his lips were on hers, when his hands were running through her hair.

He said it was like an escape from the world, something that inspired him.

Isabelle wished she had something like that. For her, she just had school, volleyball, and a number of flings. Guys she dated knew they wouldn't last very long, but they still acted like they thought they had a chance, and she was good at sports, but she didn't love it.

That was what drew her to Meliorn. While he was bored with the things normal people loved, he was so different and so happy about things no one else saw as worth their time. Isabelle knew she would regret breaking up with him when she did, but she decided to wait until they actually broke up until she thought of that. It was going to happen, she knew, but she was content with spending time with him for now.

Of course, there was also the superficial appearance and the physical attraction she'd miss. But attraction was easy to come by.

This was Isabelle Lightwood, after all.

* * *

"Sweetheart, stop biting your pen. It's going to break and you'll get ink in your mouth," Magnus told his sister, taking the pen from her. She huffed at him and grabbed a new one, holding it in her mouth just to spite him. He grinned. "So what do you need help with?"

"I can't remember this Latin. It's supposed to be pretty easy vocabulary because of all the other languages that come from it, but it's hard anyway," Camille told him. "How am I supposed to know that _onus_ and _oneris_ are both forms of burden, and that _virga_ means stick?" She was glaring at her book when she heard a muffled laugh come from her brother. When she looked up at him he was doubled over. "What?"

"I remember that chapter," he gasped, "and it was the funniest thing I read freshman year. I suppose you won't have trouble remembering big and great?"

She grinned. "_Magnus_, isn't it?"

"See, you found a way to remember that one. Now, look at the others and find ways to laugh at them. You're older than I was when I was in Latin I. You'll be fine," he told her, finally able to reign in his laughter.

She looked back at her textbook, asking him, "So why aren't you studying? Still got that headache?"

He shook his head. "No, I just don't care. I know all the stuff anyway; you just need to pay attention in class and you don't even have to study."

"Speak for yourself, freaking genius," Camille muttered angrily.

He tilted his head, asking her, "So you need help studying? I bet you know more than you admit. I'll prove it." He took the book from her, ignoring her protests with a smile on her face. "Mkay, first word: _magnus._"

**xxlifeinwordsxx - I'm glad you like it. I get what you mean, it was a little fast before. I've tried to expound upon some things, but it remains my weakness. Tell me how I did? I'm glad you like the dialogue - it's one of my favorite parts of writing this. Thanks so much for reviewing!**

**Patricia Sage - Magnus is quite happy you remembered him and his love for sparkles. Both he and I are glad you're looking forward to more! :D**

**ChampionShoes - You already love it? I'm honored! I hope this chapter is as good as the last one!**

**Bookworm24601 - Thank you for your review, darling. I certainly hope you keep reading!**

**And everyone who's read and hasn't left a review - thank you as well! I've been getting a lot of story alert notifications, and I love you all! And of course, I know ONE of you who isn't reviewing, because you came right to me after you read it, lol.**

**Thanks so much once again, lovelies. Review? Magnus uses all the glitter he can get his hands on, and reviews give him that ^.^**


	3. A New Love of Latin

**Ch. 3 - A New Love of Latin**

Hello once again everybody! I hope that you're still reading, still liking, and still reviewing! Btw - I read Paper Towns and The Rules of Survival this weekend - published books that my library was oh-so-generous to let me have - and they're amazing. I've got some new favorite authors because of them! You should check them out... after this, of course! :D

**Disclaimer that I forgot last chapter that applies to the entire story whether or not I post it: Wanting and having are two very different things. So I don't have them, sadly. That's Cassie.**

**High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup**

"Max! Come on, your ride's here!" Isabelle shouted down the hall to her little brother, who came bolting around the corner, a piece of toast in hand while pulling on his coat. He grabbed his backpack from behind the couch and stopped to give Isabelle and Alec halfhearted hugs – Isabelle pulled back to keep her outfit free of toast crumbs and Alec was sullen because of the cold – and nearly toppling Jace as he gave him a hug goodbye. Max hero worshipped Jace in a way; he was the one he looked up to, and Alec didn't care too much about it. Jace was the newer member of the family, the more accomplished one, and the one that would actually spend time with the little boy.

"Bye, Izzy, Alec, Jace! See you later!" he yelled after his siblings as he ran out the door to greet his friend. Isabelle smiled as she grabbed her keys, but her tone didn't match it as she yelled, "The car's leaving, with or without you boys."

Jace pushed past her, eliciting a sharp huff from his sister and Alec followed quickly behind, shooting Izzy an apologetic look. She just rolled her eyes and closed the door behind them.

Jace and Alec headed to an old silver car that had definitely seen better days. It seemed odd to most people who knew of Isabelle; they assumed that since they were so well off, she would have the best car. But Alec and Jace knew she'd bought her own with money of her own _because_ their parents had money. She'd never been close to either of their parents, and she didn't want to have to depend on them for everything. Isabelle always wrinkled her nose at it, but she drove it anyway. It's not like she was going to abandon her pride and ask Mom and Dad for a new car.

"So, we have practice after school today, right?" Jace called back to Alec as they took their seats in the car: Alec in the front seat, Jace in the back.

Alec shrugged. "I guess you do. I've got cross country, at least."

"Eh, you know what I mean. Our schedules are pretty much the same anyway. Coach isn't going to stay away from Ms. Bellefleur if he can help it," he replied, leaning forward to change the radio station, cutting off the Sam Tsui mix CD that started up when Isabelle warmed up the car earlier. He settled on a classic rock station, glancing at Alec as he did so. The older boy blushed and looked away; classic rock was his favorite, as Jace well knew.

Isabelle wasn't as impressed as Alec. She slammed her car door, tugging the seatbelt across her chest as she switched the radio back to the CD. She sounded irritated as she snapped, "Alec, leave Sam alone. You want to listen to that, get an iPod, or your own car."

He started to protest when Jace jumped in. "That's right Alec, you better listen to her." He was grinning when Alec looked back at him with a glare.

Isabelle didn't turn around as she remarked, "And I know about you too, Jace. I'm not an idiot."

"Could've fooled me," he muttered.

"What's that?"

Jace leaned up to rest his chin on the back of her chair, the grin still on his face. "Nothing."

She jerked back an elbow to hit him in the face, but he was already sitting back in his seat, arms behind his head as Isabelle warned him, "Watch yourself, pretty boy. I'll get to your face some day soon. Your groupies wouldn't be too happy about that, now, would they?"

"They'd be out for your blood. I wouldn't have to worry about a thing."

"I'd make you worry, you can be sure of that," Isabelle retorted.

Alec listened to the two of them with detached interest. Listening to the two of them bicker like this was as normal as watching the passersby on the sidewalks. It was just something that always went on. The sun shone. The sky was above them. School was hell. Jace and Izzy constantly fought.

A yell from Isabelle and a jerk of the car to the right brought Alec's attention back to his two siblings. "You asshole! You're lucky I remembered the turn, or else you'd be screwed."

"It's not my fault if we're late. You're the one driving."

"You _pulled my hair_. Honestly, are you five?" She shrieked at him, pulling into the parking lot and stopping the car. Alec left them behind as they continued to argue, a small smile on his lips as he walked up the hill to the double doors of the school.

* * *

The hallways were packed as usual, with masses of teenagers grouping around the green lockers and filling the hall with their incessant chatter. Most of the time, the crowds weren't too much of a problem for Magnus, because he was so tall; he could see over everybody. But Kyle was of normal height, and Raphael was shorter. Hell, if he was looking for Camille, it would be even harder, because not only was she about the height of the mass of bodies, but she was one of the many bleached blondes in the crowd giggling among almost identical groups of girls.

He'd already got his books for first period and was dreading the ring of the bell, as everyone else was. There was only ten more minutes of this freedom, and he couldn't find anyone worth talking to that he could spend it with.

Magnus felt a poke in his shoulder, and found that Kyle had caught up to him. He was walking beside him, sketchbook in hand.

"Don't you have world civ first period?"

Kyle shrugged. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Don't you need a notebook or something?"

"I don't do that anymore. I pretend to in this," he replied easily, holding up the sketchbook. "Do you really think anyone cares as long as I'm passing? My parents certainly don't, and I only keep up my grades to keep them off my back. Besides, you don't study."

"I don't need to. It just comes naturally," Magnus teased. "You, on the other hand, are very close to flunking just about _everything._"

Kyle held up a finger. "Not art class."

"That's the only thing you do anymore," his friend scoffed. "That's the reason for your abysmal grades."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Okay, mom, I'll try my best," he replied with false enthusiasm, punctuating his sarcasm by clasping his hands together with a fake smile.

Magnus started to speak, but he was jostled and clutched at Kyle to avoid falling. He could not afford to fall all the way down; he'd twist an ankle. And he needed that ankle – he only had the boots, and couldn't walk in them injured. He knew from experience. Looking up to see who'd knocked him down, he saw a wolfish grin coming from basketball extraordinaire, Jace Lightwood.

Bastard.

"Watch where you're going, Lightwood," Magnus sniffed, straightening up and shooting the boy a glare.

"I did. You were just in my way," he sneered back.

_Oh, you've started it now, bitch._ "That's backwards: the lower life form isn't supposed to act superior." Kyle laughed at that, but quieted with a look from one of Jace's teammates, settling for a silent glare.

"Superiority is my specialty. It's not my fault you suck at life."

Magnus wrinkled his nose. "Looks like your ego takes up all the space in your head. No wonder you're barely passing – no brain to use."

Jace opened his mouth but was interrupted by a tall, dark haired boy. "Just leave it, Jace." He was nearly as tall as Magnus, the jet black hair falling carelessly into his eyes, which Magnus found were a bright blue. His clothes – dear, God, if anyone was in need of What Not to Wear it was this boy, but he made the ratty jeans and holey sweater look like the sexiest thing Magnus had ever seen. He was absolutely gorgeous. And he was also the boy from the park: Alec Lightwood. He sent Jace ahead to class with some of their friends and turned to Magnus with an apologetic look. "Sorry about Jace, he's just… I don't know. But don't take it personally. He's an ass to everyone."

"Maybe not everyone," Magnus purred, liking _everything_ he saw. "You seem to be buddies."

Just when he thought the boy couldn't get any better, the blush that colored his cheeks showed up and Magnus could've just died then and there. He was too cute, with his awkward demeanor and god-like physique. Magnus could have swooned then and there, but he'd just gotten up from a fall. The boy left, still blushing, and Magnus watched him go until he was completely out of sight.

Kyle noticed his stare and laughed. "Oh, this is just too good. You've got your 'real world option' and now you're out for someone that shouldn't be _near_ the real world, much less in it. You poor bitch."

"Let's focus at the issue at hand, please. The demon spawn _touched_ me." Magnus shuddered. "I'll be diseased by the end of the day now, I just know it!"

"Stop queening over something so insignificant. You saw the other boy just as much as I did. And I'm sure of the reaction I saw." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Kicking the Spanish boy to the curb yet?'

"Please," Magnus scoffed, "not now. He's probably walking the straight and narrow just as much as Blondie. I'm not losing Raphael over some straight airhead jock." He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt arms snake around his waist. "Speak of the devil."

* * *

The scraping of a chair being pushed back accompanied by footsteps alerted Clary to the fact that someone was already finished. She looked up to see who it was – the clicking of heels was commonplace at Holy Angel's – and saw the pale blond hair and confident stride of Camille Belcourt. She wrinkled her nose; she was definitely falling behind if Camille finished before she did. Although, she noticed as she looked around, she was the only one as well. Maybe she wasn't the vapid airhead she'd seemed like, though Clary doubted it. She was probably just good at languages; she'd made a point that she was only in Latin because the Spanish I class was full.

Clary turned her attention back to her own quiz and tried to ignore the first wave of students taking their papers up to the front of the room. She exhaled sharply, unable to figure out answers. She knew, of course, that _baculum_ was the Latin word for stick, but she didn't know its gender. Was it neuter, because it was a stick, or was it one of those weird masculine nouns that were just masculine because of their ending? And she had no idea what the genitive ending was supposed to be.

_Screw it_. There couldn't be much time left, and she wanted to put something down for the possibility of partial credit. She put down neuter, because it was a stick, an inanimate object that couldn't possibly be masculine in any way, shape, or form, whether the word for it was or not. And a lot of the other genitive endings for neuter nouns was _–i_ so she decided to put that down for this one, whether it was right or not. When she looked up at the clock, she saw that she only had a few minutes to finish. At least she had an excuse for not finishing, because she knew she wouldn't finish. She was trying, but she just wasn't any good at Latin. For a minute she thought of Luke, and how disappointed he'd be when he found out about the grade she got. And he'd tell Mom, if she had any time to actually spend away from work anymore.

But then the bell rang, cutting off her train of thought and allowing her to turn in her unfinished test and stop worrying over it. She bolted out of the room, glad to have it over with. The crowd was thick and she slipped through the thin spaces, catching her books and her feet on other people, earning her a few 'ow's and dirty looks, but she made her way to her locker to find Simon standing to the left of it. The crowd to the right of it prevented her from opening her locker very widely, but instead of throwing her locker door open, she settled for throwing her Latin textbook into it. As she pulled out her sketchbook, she noticed the faded picture of the Roman family on the cover with smiles on their faces. They looked like they were mocking her.

"So, how'd the Latin quiz go?" Simon asked her, a look of concern on his face when he noticed the anger behind the throwing of the Latin book.

"Horrible," Clary groaned. "There wasn't enough time to finish, and even though I studied, I still couldn't get anything right for sure. Why didn't I take Spanish?"

Simon smiled apologetically. "Because you know it would be just as hard."

"Don't remind me. Please tell me history's going to be okay?"

"It was just the same stuff, different day," he told her. "He's got a lecture, and won't look up from his notes except to change the PowerPoint. It sounds like it came straight from the book. It's like a free period."

She sighed, pulling her sketchbook out of her locker. "Thank goodness. I don't think my brain can function normally after that test without some recovery time."

Simon grinned and opened his mouth only to have the warning bell cut him off. They smiled as they parted ways, going in opposite directions.

Clary hurried through the fast emptying halls, searching for her history classroom. After the first semester at Holy Angel's, the school was still a maze to her, even though the layout was set up in a square. She finally found the class, rushing through the door and sitting down in an empty seat with seconds to spare. Once the bell rang, Mr. Starkweather closed the door and sat down at his desk, organizing his notes once more and flipping on the projector. The boys in the back kept their conversation going, but in whispers now, so that all anyone could hear were a few snatches of words here and there. Some of the girls got out nail files or slipped magazines out from their bags and hid them behind the cover of their notebooks. Clary opened up her sketchbook and a pencil and started to draw. History class had begun.

* * *

Mrs. Herondale was talking to the girls in AP Latin through the bell, as if she was unaware it had rung. She probably was, poor thing, Magnus noticed. She was a good enough teacher, but she got off topic so easily that they really didn't have to do much of anything. It was basically a free period, and as long as you did the homework, you were set.

Of course, his attention was drawn to a head of messy black hair sitting at the front of the room, bent over his notebook, probably copying down the outline for the next test that was written on the board. Alec Lightwood. Magnus was disappointed in himself; he thought he knew everyone by now – he'd been with them for four years, after all – and he was at the heart of the gossip trade at the school. So how in the world had he missed the existence of Alexander Lightwood, a god among boys? He thought he'd gotten lucky with Raphael, and this was the same way – though it wasn't preferable. He had a boyfriend, and he hadn't known poor Alec existed until then. Hell, he'd only spoken to the boy all of one time, and now that Magnus was noticing, he was everywhere. Same lunch period, same homeroom, same AP Latin class, not to mention a few other similarities in their schedules that Magnus prayed would be coming up later in the week.

So he'd learned about the boy from Kyle – he had no choice, really – who eagerly told him all he'd learned about this new discovery. Alexander had always gone to school with Jace Lightwood, but hung back with Jace's ever present mob of sports buddies and hopeful girls. He was the star of the track team, always placing, and otherwise played soccer, obviously not the star of that since he played with Jace. He was a pretty smart guy, taking a few AP classes, as Magnus had loved to see for himself, and had rejected any and all advances towards him.

Of course, Kyle had pointed out, all these advances were made by _girls_, to which Magnus had retorted that he probably had his reasons, but it had made him smile nonetheless.

Magnus pulled himself from his reverie to notice that Mrs. Herondale had started going over the outline on the board. No one was listening except for him and Alec – the few left were already working on the homework written up. The class wasn't all that big; no one of consequence really took an AP language except for Magnus, Kyle, and Raphael – and now Alec, he noticed. But Kyle took French and Raphael took Spanish (no surprise there) so he'd always written off Latin as time to recover from other classes or catch up on homework or studying if he needed it. Now, not so much.

A smile stretched across his face as he thought how Latin wouldn't be just about dry Roman poetry anymore.

**Bookworm24601 - I know. It's amazing. I actually used it for extra credit in my Latin class, and when I saw that I was dying of laughter. My teacher said that 'Magnus Bane' as a full name could be translated as Great Disappointment or Great Annoyance, but still... I died laughing. I looked it up again to be sure - though I didn't need to, heh heh heh. I'm glad you like!**

**xxlifeinwordsxx - *gasp* You flatter me with these detailed and sincere reviews that are packed with so much pure feedback mixed with good opinion, it's like... the closest thing that could come to it is that 24 layer chocolate cake in some restaurant I saw on Food Network. And not even. I love getting reviews like this, so detailed and assessive, because it really shows me what you like about it and what I should keep doing. Thank you very much!**

**Patricia Sage - I know, I can't wait to write it, and then I can't wait for you guys to read it! Malec :D**

**ChampionShoes - You used that word. 'Nay'. I like that word. :) I actually had to pull some of my own eau de nerd for writing those two, because that's the only way I can see them! It's so weird, but because of this story I'm starting to like writing for Simon and the ginger - although I'll never forgive her for taking Jace.**

**Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing and alerting and favoriting and reading - it means so much to me, and it keeps me going, especially when I'm not having the best time. Seeing a review alert in my inbox just makes my day, and I really hope you guys will continue to review!**


	4. Flying Papers and Falling Books

**Chapter 4 – Flying Papers and Falling Books**

Wow, guys, it's been quite a while. Um... hi. I'm not quite sure what to say after about a month-long hiatus except for... sorry? May I grovel at your feet with apologies and internet cookies until you accept my apologies? Perhaps the news that I'm working on NYC Angels and plotting more for this fic as well as a possible crack fic involving this world AND Glee? Give you my pathetic excuses that are reasons for me being gone so long but not excusing my absence? Forgive me, please. I present this to you as a gift, first and foremost.

**Enough for Now, by the Fray**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI. I wish I did, but I'm not Cassie Clare, so I don't. But I own physical copies of the books. :D**

Alec gathered his things as the bell rang, glad to have Latin class over with. He couldn't wait for practice – anything was preferable to translating poetry while waiting for 3 o'clock to come around. He rushed out of the room, pushing through the crowds to get to his locker, where Jace was already waiting, backpack in hand and a grin on his face. Alec scowled and blushed while he opened the door, hoping Jace hadn't caught sight of his bright red face. "What was that about, earlier?" he asked, trying to take the attention off him. "What do you have against that kid anyway?"

"Who, Alaric?"

Alec rolled his eyes at the knowledge of some other victim of Jace's he hadn't known about. He would've pressed it if he hadn't already had something on his mind. "No, the one this morning, before school started."

"Oh, you mean Bane." A scowl spread across Jace's face. "You heard my response; he was in my way."

"So you just push him out of the way? God, Jace, what's wrong with you?"

He grinned. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with me. That's why I'm so universally loved. But Coach is gonna pitch a fit. It started to rain, so track was cancelled."

Alec shot him a puzzled look. "It is?"

Jace nodded. "Didn't you hear the announcement?" When Alec shook his head, Jace shrugged. "So are you going home with Iz then?"

"I guess so." Alec shut the door to his locker and shoved his books into his backpack. Putting it on his shoulder, he asked, "You okay to get a ride home from someone, or do we need to pick you up?"

"I'll hitch a ride with Bat. He's going that way anyway," Jace commented. He caught sight of someone behind Alec and nodded, saying goodbye to his brother as he left.

Alec sighed, walking briskly to the entrance, hoping Isabelle wouldn't leave without him no matter what she'd threatened in the past. A few feet from the doors, however, he bumped into someone, both of them dropping their stuff. "Oh, hell," he heard the other boy mutter, and as he turned to look over at who it was, he knelt down, hiding his face as he tried to pick up his books. But Alec didn't need to see his face to know it was the Bane kid from that morning from a glance at his multicolored hair and brightly colored clothes. He knelt down to help the other boy, apologies spilling from his lips.

The boy looked at him oddly, as if surprised by Alec, but the look was soon replaced with a grin. "No problem, hon. Thanks," he added as Alec handed him some of the books he'd dropped. A look of recognition crossed his face before he asked, "Weren't you there this morning?"

Alec nodded, his face warming. "With Jace? Yeah, sorry about that again."

"Oh, don't be sorry, darling," he winked. "_You_ were perfectly sweet. I'm Magnus," he said, holding out his hand.

"Alec," he replied, shifting his books so he could shake hands with the other boy – Magnus. "Do you have everything?"

Magnus smiled. "It seems like it." he asked, looking behind Alec for a moment before returning his gaze to his face. That gave him enough time to notice a few things. Magnus' eyes, Alec saw, were very different from any he'd ever seen before. They were kind of green gold, almost the same color as Isabelle's cat's eyes. He also noticed that the other boy's grin had widened at Alec's eyes trailing across his face, and he nodded in response to the other boy, taking that as his cue to leave. "So I'll see you around?"

"Sure," Magnus replied, his eyes making their own perusal over Alec's features before turning on his heel and walking away.

When Alec walked outside, he shivered. Jace hadn't been kidding; it was raining hard. He was surprised it wasn't snowing from how cold it was. The rain was falling in thick sheets, though, no hint of white in the air. He rushed to Isabelle's idling car, going inside and shutting the door quickly to avoid getting completely soaked.

"I figured you'd be coming. Why does it take you so long to get your books and get out here?" Isabelle asked him. "I have a life, you know. I'm your guys' sister, not a live in babysitter."

Alec shrugged. "I ran into someone and dropped my stuff. Geez, Izzy, chill."

"Whatever. I just hope Jace knows I'm not coming back for him," she sniffed, pulling out of the parking space and starting towards the lot's exit.

* * *

Kyle walked towards Magnus with a look of pleasant surprise. "Was that –"

Magnus nodded and smiled. "Yes, that was him. Surprised? He's falling for me already."

His friend chuckled at that, falling into stride with the taller boy. "Not surprised, no, it's just I didn't think it would actually happen. And that fast, too."

"You doubt me?"

Kyle shook his head, replying, "I doubt him. He seems locked away, and not in a tower, if you catch my drift."

Magnus waved his hand as if waving away the observation. "Details, details. Besides, it doesn't matter if he's closeted now. I'm taken, remember?"

"I honestly wonder how long Raphael will last with this new eye candy on your radar, though," Kyle said. "Especially with all this attention you're giving him."

"It's been two days since I first noticed him, Kyle," Magnus scoffed. "It's not special attention; I'm just curious."

Kyle muttered something under his breath that he thought Magnus didn't catch: "You're always just curious." He decided not to press the matter, though. His friend was right in that respect. There was something special about Alec Lightwood, though Magnus couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the way he was so easy to blush, or the way he was so cutely courteous. Or it was the fact that he was incredibly attractive, and totally Magnus' type.

Changing the subject, Magnus asked, "So do we have plans?"

Kyle shrugged. "Sure, if you want. I was going to work on my costume or my piece for the show. Doesn't seem like it would be too much fun for you, though."

"Okay. See you tomorrow then?" Magnus wiggled his fingers in goodbye as he started to walk away. Kyle waved back, joining the flow of people leaving the school grounds.

Magnus turned away, walking down the block and hefting his messenger bag onto his shoulder, wincing at the pressure from the weight of the books in it. The homework wasn't as ridiculous as that of the others he knew that went to different schools, but sometimes it seemed unbearable. It was the textbooks: they could have three questions from the books in a couple different classes – relatively little homework - while his backpack gave quite the opposite impression.

Arriving at an apartment complex, he fished a key out of his coat pocket and unlocked the door, slipping inside and running up the stairs. His mother was at work, his sister at some club meeting, so he was alone.

He loved getting home first. It was always so quiet and peaceful. He could literally do anything he wanted; the neighbors lived there for the cheap rent, not the neighbors. Usually he would play songs at full volume or sing his lungs out. Which he proceeded to do once he grabbed a CD and popped it into the player.

Fall Out Boy, Christina Auguilera, Black Veil Brides, Carrie Underwood: you name it, he listened to it, and he wouldn't hesitate to sing it. He made a point of avoiding rap, though, along with hardcore country. The twangy accents pissed him off for no reason in particular.

So when Lily Allen's music started pouring out of the speakers, he belted out the lyrics along with her.

Of course, he didn't care if he was any good or not. He'd sing either way, not listening to his own voice but loving the song. No one had complained, though, so either the walls were thicker than he assumed or he wasn't all that bad.

He sat down and opened his bag, pulling out his homework and still singing.

* * *

Alec and Isabelle were not happy with their little brother.

They still had no idea how one nine year old was so much to handle for two high schoolers. And yet Max was increasingly annoying, hyper, and excitable. Snacks wouldn't stop him, but merely fueled the fire that the older siblings were desperate to put out. TV didn't distract him; he liked reading more than watching TV. They offered to let him go outside, but he would complain about how he didn't have anyone to play with. And when Alec and Isabelle finally decided to ignore him, Max decided it was time to question everything they said.

"So he just came up and shoved him out of the way. It was ridiculous. I've seen him at his worst, but this is something new altogether," Alec was saying.

"Who, Alec?"

"Jace," he told his little brother dismissively, turning back to Isabelle. "I don't know what he has against the guy."

"No, Alec, I _meant_ the guy Jace was fighting with."

"He's just a guy that goes to mine and Izzy's school, okay Max?" Alec huffed.

Isabelle started into the conversation again, remarking, "Well, Jace is an ass. It isn't all that much of a surprise that he'd do something like that."

Max gasped. "Izzy said a bad word! I'm telling!"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Who are you going to tell, Max? Mom and Dad are at work."

"Yeah, but he doesn't just throw someone to the ground for no reason. And the guy acted like it wasn't the first time it had happened," Alec told his sister.

"Well, who was it?" Isabelle asked.

"Good luck getting an answer," Max grumbled. "I asked that question two minutes ago."

"He said his name was Magnus or something," Alec said offhandedly. "I don't have any idea who he is other than that."

"Alec! Why did you tell Izzy and not me?" Max cried petulantly.

Isabelle smiled knowingly. "Was he tall? Tan? Wearing bright colors? Obvious and camp?"

Alec nodded slowly, confusion plain on his face. But before he could ask, Max burst out with, "Izzy, what's camp?"

Isabelle laughed. "It's when something is very obvious about you, Max."

Realization hit Alec, and he flushed. All the glitter and color had tipped him off, of course, that Magnus was probably gay, but to hear it put that way made him feel awkward. Of course, the next thing that Max asked didn't help steer the conversation away from awkward topics.

"Izzy, am I camp?"

Alec sputtered as Isabelle started giggling at her little brother. "I don't know yet, Max, but I don't think so."

"Awwww. Am I going to be someday?"

"You know what, Max," Alec said quickly, cutting off his sister, "why don't you go get that book you wanted to tell me about?"

Max frowned. "It's called _manga_, Alec. It's not just some book, it's a Japanese comic…" he admonished with a serious expression, leaving the room anyway, probably to get the book in question. Alec assumed his little brother was going to further explain the concept of manga, which meant that it wouldn't give Isabelle an opening to continue the awkward conversation.

Although, Max would have to go upstairs and get the book, which would give Isabelle at least a few more minutes to talk.

As if she had read his mind, Isabelle turned back to him. "It's nothing you have to worry about. That's Magnus Bane, and they do have a rather messy history."

"How did I not know about this again?" Alec asked her, a puzzled look on his face.

Isabelle sighed. "When you're around Jace, you don't seem to have much attention for anyone or anything else."

Alec stiffened, warning his sister, "Izzy, don't."

She threw her hands in the air defensively. "That's the truth! C'mon, it's not like anyone notices except me. No one knows you well enough except Jace, and he doesn't suspect a thing. Mom and Dad couldn't see this if they tried, and you don't have all that many close friends outside your family."

"I can't tell anyone. I'm not ready; you know that." He sent her a pleading glance before looking down at his feet. "Besides, it's not like I can tell him. I've never seen anyone more straight in my life." Alec winced at his own words, as if they hurt to come out of his mouth.

Isabelle stood up, her heels clicking as she walked around the table to hug her brother. "I know, Alec. But if you keep backing yourself into the closet, you'll end up finding Aslan. You need to try to start accepting yourself. And if you can't tell him, or Mom or Dad, find someone who you _can_ tell. I'm sure you can find someone who will at least be able to sympathize with you. Even a support chat room can help, Alec."

There was a silence, and then, "I'll try," was the muffled response from Alec.

His sister stepped back. "That's better." She looked as if she was going to say something else, but was interrupted as Max tackled his older brother, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him down to the ground, laughing as well as causing laughter. Once he was untangled from his brother, he picked the book up off the ground and started to animatedly explain the plot of the series. As Max spoke, Isabelle and Alec shared a smile as they looked at their little brother, basking in the momentary camaraderie, knowing it wouldn't last for long. But it was enough for a little while.

**musicobsessedx - I'm so glad that you like this, and that I'm keeping everyone in character. Even though they're all mundies, I try to keep their personalities the same. Thanks for the review, and please continue reading!**

**ChampionShoes - Thanks so much for the review, darling! You've no idea how much it means to see that not only do people like how I portray the characters' personalities, but that they like my OCs! Kyle is one of my favorites, because he's probably the most like me out of all of them - not including someone halfway between Alec and Magnus, lol.**

**xxlifeinwordsxx - Once again, your lovely and detailed reviews never disappoint! I'm flattered at your analysis and the compliments - it shows just how much you like my writing without you even having to say it - although you do, and I love that too! :D And yes, I'm hungry at the mention of it again. Sorry to keep you waiting, and thanks for the review!**

**Bookworm24601 - ...I know. I never imagined Magnus as a 'Great Disappointment' to anyone but his parents. *cough*certainlynotAlec*cough* But I digress... I'm glad you like the story, and yeah, there is a bit of irony that they've never really noticed each other before. I'm not sure what it is, but I guess destiny was just waiting to hit them with the perfect first impressions and whatnot. Thanks for the review, and I hope you keep reading and keep liking!**

**Patricia Sage - Ah, yes. Darling little Brittany boo. For once, I agree with her - though I'm sorry for the delay. Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy the update!**

**CainaStarsong - I'm glad you've come to accept Camille. I wanted to use her somewhere, and since there was no way he'd be straight at all, and he's already got a few best friends - some of which we'll come to see soon - I wanted to put her somewhere we'd be able to keep tabs on her and actually sort of grow to like her - because I liked her in Clockwork Angel, and I kind of wanted to portray her in a likeable way in this. I'm glad you like Magnus - he's one of my favorites to write, and one of my favorites in the book, if you couldn't tell! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Kitty Bane - I know exactly what you mean - I take a lot of this from my own experiences, so I'm glad it sounds realistic (mostly because I'm the fangirl of my little group of friends and I'm in the same boat as you) But I hope you liked the update, and thanks so much for the review.**

**IssyRedbird - You are awesome as well. Thank you for reviewing - hope you like this chapter! :D**

**All right, so time for excuses - not that they excuse me in any way, but this is why I've been gone.**

**- the musical I tried out for I didn't get into, but I signed up for crew. It was mandatory for all cast AND crew to be at every practice possible starting March 17th, and it seemed like a colossol waste of time at first. There were far too many set crew people, the lights people didn't need help, the costume/makeup people just needed the costume racks moved and the publicity crew just sold tickets, so the most I did was on set crew (which I didn't sign up for in the first place but got stuck with anyway). It was fun, getting to spend time with everyone, but we spent so much time backstage, not allowed to do anything but wait for our cues that I lost a lot of free time.**

**- research papers were gaining intensity and importance as they were due on the 31st - and they're a HUGE part of our English class grades, so I had to make sure I got cracking on that. Otherwise, I could kiss the possibility of exam exemption goodbye. It'll probably be a while before we know what we got, so that's even more worry on my plate**

**- finally, one of my friends was admitted to the psych ward in the hospital. She tried to kill herself, and when she had a sleepover with one of our friends to confide in her, I wasn't there - play practice. Our friend told her counselor, who called the first friend's school, who called her mom, who took her up to the hospital. She's better now, as far as we know. She's still going up there daily instead of having school, having been released to go back home and to youth group sometimes, but that stress piled on top of everything else did not help one little bit.**

**And then after not writing for so long, I was at kind of a block, so it took me a while to get back. But I missed you all, and I hope I can get back into the swing of things. I'm writing some more probably as you're reading this, so be ready to read more!**


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